The Catcher In The Rye Literary Analysis Essay Example

The Catcher In The Rye is a novel about a young boy named Holden after he flunks out of school. He returns to New York, adventuring alone. Holdens continuously searches for truth in people avoiding those he defines as phony. Ignoring his physical and mental health, Holden is a lonely person who seeks comfort from others but also repeatedly pushes people away, constantly contradicting himself. In The Catcher In The Rye, Salinger characterizes Holden as unreliable through person vs self and person vs society to display his mental health.

In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the author uses person vs self-conflict to illustrate the main character's unreliability as a narrator. Person vs self is very prominent in the novel, Holden narrates his thoughts although he is very judgemental of others, Holden also carries many neglected problems of his own. For instance, after a prostitute leaves Holden's hotel room he begins to talk to his little brother who died of leukemia he reimagines a memory of their time together  “Boy I felt miserable, I felt so depressed, you can't imagine. What I did, I started talking to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed” ( Salinger 118) This reveals person vs self as he isolates himself to avoid his true feelings, so he instead looks for comfort in someone who is not there, who cannot tell Holden any real advice to help him, proving he is an unreliable narrator as he hallucinates talking to someone deceased. In addition, despite Holden being underage and going to a bar, Holden attempts to meet people as he's lonely but only becomes drunk which he as well denies leaving to wander the streets “I didn't hardly had any money left and I had to start economizing on cabs and all. But I didn't feel like getting on a goddamn bus and besides I even know where I was supposed to go” (Salinger 117) This illustrates Person vs self as Holden drinks whenever he has access to the substance, repeatedly abusing a substance which is known for making people feel more happy, confident and less inhibited which are the matters Holden struggles to attain. He's unreliable especially in these moments being intoxicated making unhealthy choices that question his impulses and judgment.

This is significant to his ill state of being, witnessing Holden drunk walking alone At night in New York with little money as he freezes and still chooses not to take a cab or bus for his own wellbeing. He picks to not communicate with others even in the most extreme times and instead remains reticent.

In the novel The Catcher In The Rye the author uses person vs society to display Holden as an unreliable narrator. Throughout the novel Holden has many issues with the people in his life, he constantly criticizes people's physicality and personalities. But chooses to associate with these very people he deems displeasing. For example, Holden chooses to write his roommate Stradlater's essay, he writes about his younger brother Allie's baseball glove, who means a lot to him, Holden has deep regret about his relationship with Allie as he's now deceased  “You don't do one damn thing right the way you're supposed to I mean it, not one damn thing¨ All right give it back to me then and pulled it right out of his goddamn hand then ripped it up” (Salinger 47) One can see Holden Becomes aggressive towards Stradlater when put in a place he considers vulnerable and cannot take criticism from others. He's shown unreliability furthermore as he is always belittling others for basic attributes and questioning others ``authenticity” how could a reader believe others' said traits in the novel when Holden cannot even accept his own. Moreover, Holden decides he wants to leave New York and run away hitchhiking his way to a new life where nobody cares for him.  “I'd decided I'd go away, I'd decided I'd never go home again, I'd never go away to another school”.. “I'd pretend I was a deaf-mute that way i wouldn't have to have goddamn stupid useless conversations with anybody” (Salinger 218) This is, In other words, is person vs society Holden avoids talking to people and which the degrees he's willing to go to accomplish this goal, he is always repulsed by people mainly adults. Running away from his issues. He's unreliable. How could a person be trustworthy but can't bear the reality of everyday life? His plan is not realistic but very irrational regarding his circumstances. Holden refuses to live upon others, he'd rather live forgotten than known by anyone. Everyday socializing is known to be very important to one's mental health. The emotional support provided by social interactions reduces the damaging effects of stress and gives someone a sense of purpose and meaning but for Holden, it's all the opposite.

All points considered, The Catcher In The Rye brings light to problems that go overlooked constantly every day. Many people you see can be struggling mentally, especially children who do not always have the opportunity to reach out for help. Holden the protagonist is an example of a person who seemed alright to others but if given the time truly is crying out for help. People will deny their mental health until they break down when everything held down comes to the surface.